Bashful Dragon is a fierce little friend, with plenty of attitudes! With super soft fur in pale sage green, suedey horns, and a long, squidgy tail, this brilliant beastie is...
Jellycat Blossom Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
The Sophie Bath Toy by Calisson from the Sophie La Girafa is the perfect addition to the tub to make bath time fun! Floats When squeezed, the Sophie bath toy...
Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears mean that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Silky-soft and lovingly loyal, Bashful Black & Cream Puppy wants to play all day! He comes in five sizes, from huge and huggable to itsy bitsy baby. His smudgy black...
The perfect present for a caring keeper, Jellycat Bashful Giraffe is loving and loyal, if a little shy! His toffee and white fur is as velvety as can be, and...
Jellycat Blossom Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Made of beautiful silky smooth Bashful fur in a scrummy creamy chocolatey color, this monkey swings through the trees as fast as can be, becoming a number one playmate- understandably!!...
Jellycat Bashful Puppy Toffee is a gorgeous retriever, but he’s still learning how to spell that! This supercute, soft little pup wants to be a guide dog when he grows...
For the King of the Beasts, Bashful Lion is looking sweetly, well, bashful! He wants a caring companion to ruffle his luxurious caramel mane. Give this squeezy, butter-bellied big cat...
Bashful Bunny is a huggable hopster. Soft and snuggly in warm terracotta, he's a lop-eared lovely, and loving pal. Expect cuteness, carrots and flopsy cuddles, and plenty of picnics out...
Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Bashful Bunny is a popular fellow with scrummy-soft Jellycat fur and lovely long flopsy ears means that with just one cuddle, you’ll never want to let go. Irresistibly cute and...
Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Lots of pacifiers lost? Say no more, this cute silly buddy will be the solution to this problem. Floppy, sloppy, silly and soft, this playful pacifier holding silly buddies, tie...
Get your five-a-day in an adorable way with Amuseable Avocado! Scrummily green and soft, our veggie chum has a natty two-tone jacket in speckled fur. We love that squashy, suedey...
Which sound belongs to which letter? With the endearing animal drawings on our ABC cards, children connect pictures, words, and sounds. These colorful cards invite word-building and fun games, making...
Haba Clutching Magica teether is the perfect toy to entertain your little one as well as to help them work on their grasping skills! Haba Clutching Magica Details: Suitable for...
Haba Clutching Color Snake Rattle is the perfect toy to entertain your little ones as well as to help them work on their grasping skills. The Snake Rattle offers limitless...
Keep baby stimulated and occupied with Classic Baby Beads. The wood beads are strung together with an elastic cord and can be manipulated into an endless number of configurations making...
Blast off into space with My Rocket! Let your young one become an astronaut and pilot this colorful rocket for many missions to come. Featuring an internal rattle for simple...
Manhattan Toys Classic Baby Beads go natural. The wood beads are strung together with an elastic cord and can be manipulated into an endless number of configurations making it a...
Play is essential for children because it contributes to their intellectual, physical, emotional and social development. When children play, they exercise their creativity, develop their imagination, master their dexterity, improve their cognitive ability and build physical strength. Experts agree that the best kinds of play allow kids to set their own goals, negotiate challenges, develop and share ideas, and make their own rules.
But how can we make sure our kids are getting enough healthy, unstructured play time when they’re growing up in an overscheduled and stressful environment, when parents are overly focused on producing high academic achievers, and safety concerns prevent us from letting our kids roam around freely and unsupervised? Perhaps the best thing we can do for our kids is to make sure they have the right kinds of toys at home to make play time most rewarding.
First and foremost is safety. Safe toys for young children are sturdy, without sharp parts or splinters, free of pinching hazards, and easy to clean. If the toy will be used by an infant, it’s important that parts aren’t small enough to become a choking hazard.
Toys must be made from non-toxic materials and coated with lead-free paints. You should steer clear of antique toys, second-hand toys and homemade toys that have not been tested and approved by a certified testing lab, or may have been produced before the current regulations governing toy manufacturing were in effect.
In addition to being safe, a good toy will match the child’s appropriate stage of development and abilities.
The best baby activity toys for infants between 0-6 months are things they can reach, grasp, suck on, shake, and make noise with. Some age-appropriate toys for little babies are squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls, and board books.
Infants between 6-12 months are starting to crawl, sit up and pull themselves to a standing position. They are capable putting things in and out of containers and placing objects on top of each other. Some of the best baby activity toys for this age group are dolls, vehicles with wheels, bath toys, large beads, nesting toys, large soft blocks, wooden blocks, and push & pull toys.
As your child continues to grow, look for toys that will encourage them to explore, create, pretend, imagine, and learn from trial and error.